Chinese firm announces R&D centre in Finland

Shanghai, Dec 12 (IANS/EFE) China's Huawei, manufacturer of telecommunications equipment, said it plans to create a research and development centre in Finland.

The initiative calls for spending 70 million euros ($90 million) over five years and represents a "strategic investment", Huawei said in a statement.

The centre is to be located in Helsinki, not far from the headquarters of Finnish telecom giant Nokia, and will initially concentrate on developing software for smart phones, tablets and other devices using the Android and Windows Phone 8 operating systems.

Starting with a staff of 30, Huawei expects to be employing around a hundred people at the new complex within five years.

"We believe the key to building our brand is to provide consumers with a reliable and differentiated user experience," said Kenneth Fredriksen, Huawei's vice president for Central, Eastern and Nordic Europe.

"The open and innovative environment in Finland is an ideal place for Huawei to strengthen our global R&D capabilities for devices, creating opportunities for both Huawei and the Finnish telecommunications industry," he said.

Huawei already has R&D and design facilities in Sweden and Britain.

The Chinese company has more than 7,000 employees in Europe, including some 900 in Spain.

In September, Spanish Industry Minister Jose Manuel Soria and Huawei executives signed a memorandum of understanding to consider the establishment of an R&D centre in the Iberian nation.